Newcomers
by True Believer
Summary: In an alternate future Buffyverse a new slayer comes to Sunnydale and she has to deal with an evil cult, Willow and Xander's children and a mystery vampire. Also starring Connor, Willow, Spike and even Buffy!?! Chapter 8 now up, chapter 9 coming soon!
1. The Way We Were

I read the story called "Next Generation" by PortCharlesSlayer and loved the idea so i borrowed it. Therefore this fan-fic is dedicated to him/her. Any feedback will be greatly received: suicidal_snowman@hotmail.com. Thanks and enjoy!

I own nothing except my original characters, who will soon be introduced.

Readers note: In my own little buffy/angel continuity Connor was never taken and matured normally in the loving care of the Angel investigations team. Angel sacrificed himself to save the world on Connor's sixteenth birthday and has been living in Sunnydale with Cordy and Lorne. Who are NOT a couple. Also Willow adopted a daughter after Tara's death. I forgot the school blew up so please read as if that didn't happen. The year is 2019, this is provisonal as I haven't had time to work it out and put in all the backstory to my buffyverse, there will be some future tech but it is not essential to the story, anybody who has a reasonable tech idea or method for working out the year please e-mail me your ideas. One more thing before we start, I had trouble thinking up some story ideas for sequels, please e-mail me any fan-fics you write and I'll be happy to read them. Wow that was longer than planned

Chapter1: The Way We Were

It was the start of the new school year at Sunnydale high and the students were all piling out of their parent's cars and towards their old friends like they hadn't been apart all summer. Two of these came in the same car, Marcus and Tara got out of her red-haired mother's car like they had known each other forever. Which they had, as long as they had been alive they had been friends. the only thing that came between them was their attitude to schoolwork.

"You guys be good," Tara's mother called from the car, "Make sure you go to class today Tara." 

"Okay mom, see ya tonight," Tara called behind her. After a brief screech of tires she turned and walked out of the school. Marcus ran up behind her.

"You can't skip again, at least go to the classes you're in with me," he stood in front of her, blocking her way whilst flashing the cheesy grin his father taught him, "please?" he put on his puppy-dog eyes and she could no longer stand up to him.

"Just this once," she said, even though this happened every day. She was not her mother's daughter. She turned around to walk back to the school and bumped into a thin dark-haired girl who promtly fell flat to the floor. 

"Ooh," she squeeled, "I am so sorry," she picked herself and her small teddy-bear bag up and introduced herself, "hi I'm Amelia Wade, I'm new."

"Hi I'm Marcus and this is Tara," he smiled a stupid smile at her, "we aren't new."

They all piled into their home-room at the bell, oddly Amelia was in most of Marcus and Tara's classes so they hung out together most of the day. Tara and Marcus went to the library so Amelia called her mother and told her she would get a ride with them after school.

"Yes mom," she said, "yes they are nice people," Tara and Marcus walked off so as not to be asked to speak, "no mom I won't do anything stupid, okay, okay, goodgbye mom." She put the phone down and breathed heavily. She looked around to find Marcus and Tara in the library.

"Wow," Tara said, "what did you do to turn your mother into a nervous wreck?"

"Long story, bad ending," she said.

"Oh do tell," begged Marcus. Suddenly a boy with dark hair and good looks walked into the library and walked up to Tara.

"Excuse me," she turned to see him, and was obviousely taken aback, "could you point me towards the librarian?"

She desperately tried not to show her feelings in her voice and shouted out. "Mrs. Wendle," then a middle-aged tall man stepped out of the libraran's office.

"I am sorry to disappoint you but she has retired, I am the new librarian here," he spoke curtly and with a stiff english accent, he reminded Tara of the librarian that worked there when her mom was a student. His name was Rupert Giles and her mom spoke of him like he were her father. "My name is Mr. Giles, how can I help?"


	2. The Call to Arms

For Disclaimer and Readers notes see chapter one.

Feedback suicidal_snowman@hotmail.com.

****

Chapter 2: The Call To Arms

"_The_ Mr. Giles?" Marcus and Tara said, almost as one.

"I am Mr. Giles but you probably mean my uncle Rupert Giles who also was a librarian here," then he added, "somewhat of a family tradition."

"Oh," Tara said, she would have liked to meet _the _Mr. Giles, but this guy was nothing more than an english fuddy-duddy.

"I need some textbooks please, my teachers sad they had some put back for me," the black-haired boy chipped in. Giles looked around his messy desk and found two piles of books.

"Seeing as you obviously aren't Amelia Wade these must be yours," he held up a peice of paper in front of his bespectacled eyes, "Connor Chase I presume?"

The boy who was in fact Connor Chase walked over and took the proffered books and walked out, giving Tara a smile as he left.

"Did you see that?" she asked, Amelia paid no attention to her and walked up to the librarian and asked for her books, he handed her a huge pile of what seemed to be heavy textbooks. But she held them with her left arm while she walked over to the table. Sitting back down she played with the necklace around her kneck, a crucifix design like the ones worn by religous people. "He smiled at me!" Tara said, exstatic from her encounter with the young Connor.

Tara and Amelia spent the next hour gossiping over boys, especially Connor, Marcus listened for a while but when his trademark witty comments stopped getting laughs he walked over to one of the computer terminals in the new technology section of the library. But then Tara's cell phone rang and they all got up to leave, Marcus shining an apple on his shirt. Just as they were about to leave the librarian Mr. Giles called out to Amelia.

"Ms Wade could you wait a moment as I forgot to give you one of your books," Amelia walked over to the counter and leaned right over.

"I'll meet you guys at the front gate," she called to Marcus and Tara.

The blustering librarian tried to ignore the low cut of Amelia's top and handed her a very old leather bound book, she took it and turned around so that her back was against the counter. She read the large gold-embossed title of the book. "Vampyr"it read. She threw the book down on the floor and span to face the astonished Mr. Giles. 

She leant right over the counter and grabbed the librarian's suit lapels and violently dragged him closer to her over the counter with strength that was impossible for someone as slight aas she. "I know what you are watcher, the last time somebody showed me one of these I was expelled from school, my mom died and all those close to me didn't want to know me. So you'd better think long and hard about this and we can try again tomorrow morning," She let him go and his feet fell to the floor and he staggered back, "okay?" she smiled a chipper grin and skipped out of the library.

When he could no longer hear her foot-steps padding down the corridoor he walked over to the phone.

"Watcher's Council," he commanded and the phone's screen lit up and the number appeared, "dial," he commanded. The picture of an old man with grey hair and beard appeared on screen. "We have a problem."


	3. Bronzed

For Disclaimer and Readers notes see chapter one.

Feedback suicidal_snowman@hotmail.com.

****

Chapter 3: Bronzed

That night Amelia, Marcus and Tara decided to go to the one and only place for teenagers to hang out, the Bronze. They were all sat around a table when Connor came in, Tara almost wet herself with excitement and tapped Amelia furiously on the shoulder and pointed in his direction.

Connor looked this way and that, as if looking for someone. Then he saw Tara and smiling walked towards them.

"Oh my god, he's coming over," Tara was at the point of exploding.

"Perhaps he's going to turn a hose on you, god knows I want to," chipped in Marcus. Tara gave him a stern glare and stood up to greet Connor, "Hi, I don't think we've been introduced yet," she said as he stopped and offered his hand, "I'm Tara Rosenberg."

"Connor Chase, I'm new in town and my mom told this was one of the hotspots. Or used to be," she took his hand and felt like a bolt of electricity flowed between them. Their eyes lit up and they both seemed to feel it, "Pleased to meet you Connor, this is..."

"Alexander _Marcus _Harris," Marcus introduced himself, he never liked using his christian name, his dad named him after himself and it was too confusing for his mother who was never all that normal anyway.

"Amelia Wade, I'm new in town too," Amela spoke and realised that Connor had hardly heard them, he was still stood there gazing into Tara's eyes and holding her hand. She was equally mesmerised. Just then a young man in a long black coat came in and immediately grabbed Amelia's attention, he looked frantic and walked up to the bar. Amelia cocked an ear to listen.

"Can you tell me where the phone is mate," he spoke in an english accent, too many of those around she thought, "some big guy outside is trying to bite someone."

Connor broke out of his reverie then and looked off to the side as if thinking, Amelia too looked conflicted and Marcus was just plain confused at the two of them. Just then both Amelia and Connor seemed to reach a decision, and they looked up.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Amela said and walked purpousefully through the night club.

"I'm gonna get some fresh air," said Conner, oddly excusing himself at the same time as Amelia. Marcus thought nothing of it, Tara however didn't.

"I think he likes her and he's gone off to talk to her," Marcus tried to chip in but she was stubborn and wouldn't let him, "I'm gonna follow them," she got up and walked after Connor, "come on!" 

Marcus got up with a sigh and followed her after Connor and Amelia.

Amelia made sure she was out of sight of the other and took something out of her bag, a pointed peice of wood, and made for the exit. Then she broke into a run and got round the corner to see a large man holding a young woman close to him as he moved his mouth closer to her kneck, his teeth closer to her flesh. Then suddenly ridges grew on his forehead and his teeth elongated and he drew his head back to expose his yellow soulless eyes.

"Hey ugly!" she shouted, drawing him out of his ritual as he let go of his intended victim.

"Ooh, now aren't you a pretty morsel," he snarled at her exposing his fangs. She rushed him and took a quick kick to his side, he laughed when he saw what she was doing. Then her foot connected with him, once, twice, three times. He flew back against the wall of the bronze and slumped dazed to the floor, she was upon him before he could regain his senses and she rammed the wooden stake she carried through his heart. There was a satisfying shriek and then the dust that was his remains fell to the ground.

"Still got it," she said. Then another shriek came from behind her, mere inches from her. as she spun she felt the dust of a dead vampire fall on her and she saw Connor there, stake raised in his right hand.

"What in the _hell_ was that?" Tara asked shakily from the corner around wich Amelia had ran. Marcus stood wide-eyed and open-mouthed, speechless, which was a first.

Connor looked to Amelia and she back at him, then Amelia walked over to Tara and Marcus.

"Let's take a walk and I'll try to explain."


	4. The Talk

For Disclaimer and past Readers notes see chapter one.

Feedback suicidal_snowman@hotmail.com.

Readers Note: The sphere is a game played over the future version of the internet that is very popular in my future Buffyverse.

****

Chapter 4: The Talk

As they walked through the cemetary Amelia tried to explain the whole thing to Marcus and Tara, "So what you're saying is that the things that go bump in the night are real, and that you kill them?" a still confused Tara asked. She was so confused she hadn't noticed that Connor had disappeared five minutes ago, even Amelia found it hard to keep track of him.

"You got it, mostly, that Giles guy can explain better than me."

"The librarian?" Marcus asked, also confused.

"Yeah, I am a Slayer," she explained again, "he's a watcher, they are assigned to watch over Slayers and teach them to fight vampires," she stopped for a moment at a recent grave site, "I had one back when I lived in New York, but he got knocked down by a bus."

"Wow," Marcus said, "you'd think that living such a dangerous life he'd be killed by vampires but," he stopped as he realised that both girls were frowning at him, "sorry."

"It's okay Marcus, I got over it," she fixed her happy smile back in place, "I went shopping."

"I still don't understand," Tara confused easily. If it wasn't about boys, MTV, or pool she took a little time to get her head around it, "so vampires are real?"

"Yes." Amelia sighed, this was going to take time.

Tara continued on up till they had walked past Marcus' house and dropped him off and when they got to her house her mother was sat on their porch.

"Buffy?" her mom shouted out to Amelia. Amelia was startled and stepped back.

"No mom," Tara said, "this is Amelia, she's new in town."

"Sorry," she said, "you remind me of an old friend," she offered her hand, "Willow Rosenberg, pleased to meet you Amelia."

Amelia warily shook the red-head's hand, "Hiya Mrs. Rosenberg, sorry we're a bit late but Tara got a little distracted by a boy."

"Oooh, do tell," she asked, eager to get away from her mistake, "what's his name, is he really cute?" she smiled a naughty little smile that made her look like a kid.

"His name is Connor Chase and he is really, really cute, now can we finish in the morning because I'm kinda beat?" she yawned and walked into the house, stretching her arms. 

"Good night love," Tara's mother shouted out behind her, "I think I'll stay out here for a while," she turned to face Amelia, "sorry again about that _thing _earlier."

"So who's Buffy?" Amelia asked innocently.

"My best friend, I haven't seen her for a while and I started seeing her face everywhere," her perky attitude slipped for a moment and Amelia could see the sadness on her face, "even in the strangest of places."

As she walked home, she thought of her mother. Sometimes she wished her mother was like Tara's mother, more of a friend than a parent. Even though they had only met that morning she felt a bond with Tara, and in a lesser way with Marcus. She couldn't explain it but she felt as if she had known them forever. 

Then she thought about herself, she did that a lot recently, she put herself first. She was the Slayer and she was built to save lives and to kill vampires, but she put her social life ahead of other's lives. She knew it wasn't right, she needed help deciding. Perhaps she would ask her mother.

When Amelia stepped in the front door she could see her mother sat in the front room watching the television. She could hear the cheesy game show host rolling off one-liners that were funny twenty years ago, and decided.

"Mom," her mother turned to face her, smiling, "can I ask you a question?"

"Sure honey, what is it?" she asked.

"Mom, if somebody is able to help people should that person help people?" her mother was about to answer when she carried on, "But does she ever get a thank you, no, all she ever gets is beaten up or cursed or whatever and then she loses all her friends," she had to stop for air and that was when her mother took her chances and butted in.

"Look honey, I know that you worry about other people," she stood and put her hands on Amelia's shoulders, "and my father always said that if you can help someone then you should," she put one arm round her back and led her to the stairway, "why don't you go down and help at the homeless shelter after school. You can help people and keep your friends, assuming they are up to my standards."

"Mom!" Amelia whined and gave her mother the 'that is so unfair' look.

"I'm sure they're very nice, everything just seems happier here," she pushed Amelia up the stairs toward her bedroom, "I understand now why it's called Sunnydale," she turned to go back to the television but called over her shoulder, "make sure you go to sleep, don't stay up playing with the sphere."

"G'night mom."


	5. Breakfast and Sacred Duty

For Disclaimer and previous Reader's notes see chapter's 1 and 4.

Reader's note: I forgot the school got blown up so please read as if that didn't happen. Feedback: suicidal_snowman@hotmail.com.

****

Chapter 5: Breakfast and Sacred Duty

It was the morning after the night before and Amelia skipped downstairs in her usual chipper manner, her mother was waiting in the kitchen drinking a glass of juice.

"Morning mom," she said as she fixed the smile to her face and her bum on one of the seats at the breakfast bar, "did you do waffles?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes," she turned and picked up a plate of freshly cooked waffles from the sideboard and placed them in front of Amelia, "just how you like them, extra syrup."

Amelia dug straight in and was halfway through the first waffle when her mother coughed, "Thanks mom," she mumbled while she wolfed down the rest of the waffle, the second one followed and then as if by magic the plate was empty.

"You know," her mother said, "sometimes watching you eat makes me feel ill."

"Thanks," Amelia said sarcastically, "I've always known how to keep my girlish figure," she smiled widely and got up to get her bag, "eat lots of waffles and walk it off on the way to school," just then the doorbell went and Amelia went to answer it. Tara stood outside in the pouring rain soaking wet, Marcus was running up the driveway, soaked to the skin and he joined her on the porch dripping with rain.

"Hi," Tara mumbled pathetically, "we got caught in the rain and I remembered you lived here. Can we get a ride with you?" she asked, even more pathetically.

Amelia's mother walked over to see who was at the door and Amelia introduced them, "Marcus and Tara, meet my mom," they all exchanged greetings and shook hands.

"Can I offer you two a lift?" she asked and Tara and Marcus nodded enthusiastically.

When they arrived at Sunnydale high school there was nobody outside as usual and the few people they did see were running frantically to keep their expensive and fashionable clothes dry.

"Okay honey I'll se you tonight, and if you are going to help out down at the shelter then I'll expect you back late," she closed the door and turned the car engine back on, "nice to meet you two and I hope I'll see you again," she shouted to Marcus and Tara.

"Thanks for the lift, good bye," Marcus shouted back, waving to Amelia's mother.

Before lessons started Amelia had some business to take care of with the watcher and Tara and Marcus had insisted on coming too. She burst in through the double doors as had been done many times before and found the watcher sat at the centre table, almost as if he'd been waiting for her.

"I've been waiting for you," he said, stating the obvious, "If you will excuse us we have things to speak about," he addressed Marcus and Tara and Amelia stood arms folded staring at the Englishman.

"They know," she stated, "they saw me slay last night."

"What?" he stuttered, "How could you let this happen? They didn't say anything about this in the watcher's guide."

"Well it happened, deal with it," she said, offering no respect to her watcher.

"You need to face up to who you are," he stood and walked up to her, "you are the slayer, your destiny is to fight the vampires. One girl in all the world and that," she stood there silently, arms folded.

"Excuse me," Tara spoke quietly as if not wanting to interrupt, "but you said _one girl _and I distinctly saw Connor doing something superhuman."

"That is interesting," Tara had made the watcher lose all train of thought, "I must speak to this Connor soon, find out some more." he broke out of his reverie when he noticed Amelia still stood there, arms folded, "But there are more important matters at hand."

"And if you'd shut up for a minute I would've told you what I'd decided," Amelia sharply interjected.

"You have my undivided attention," Giles said.

"And mine," Marcus interrupted, he was feeling a little left out of the conversation.

"I have decided to accept my curse," the watcher's brow furrowed as if he did not understand, "you know," she mimed staking a vampire, "pokey pokey, scream, cloud of dust," she spoke along with her movements.

"Ah, yes," Giles smiled nervously, "well that is good news, all I have to do now is give you the manual and your orders for tonight."

"Orders?" she asked confusedly.

"Yes," he went behind the librarian's desk and searched through a pile of books to find the small leather-bound handbook he searched for, "I want you to go out and have fun with your friends, try and get Connor to go with you and see what you can learn," he walked up to her and handed her the slayer's handbook, "and then I'd like you to do a quick patrol of the cemetery," he stopped and added, "please."

"Thanks, I thought you'd wouldn't give me an easy night to start," Amelia said sarcastically.

"Well I guess you are just lucky to have a watcher who understands the pressures of being a teenager, and you can come here after school and do your homework before you go," he stopped and tried to think, "Wherever it is you teenagers go nowadays."

Then the bell rang and they all trooped off to class, and Amelia felt two conflicting emotions. Annoyance at having just given in to her infuriating English watcher, and happiness at having two friends who completely accepted her for who she was. 


	6. We Help The Helpless

For Disclaimer and previous Reader's notes see chapter's 1, 4, and 5.

Feedback: suicidal_snowman@hotmail.com .

****

Chapter 6: We Help The Helpless

Another Technology reader's note: In my future Buffyverse there are barriers that stop sound in the bronze, mainly because I couldn't think of what music would be like then.

Marcus had succeeded in getting Connor to go to the Bronze with them that night, he simply told him that Tara would be there. He liked her just as much as she did him. They had all volunteered to help Amelia get some background on Connor and Marcus had brought some garlic in his bag in case he had to go on patrol with her tonight, some vampire would get a big shock when they tried to bite him.

When Connor got to the Bronze the others were sat in the two rows of sofas under the stairs to the upper level. They had switched the band off in that area so they could talk and he felt the sound barrier as he passed through it and he stepped up behind one of the sofas, "Hi guys," they all jumped out of their seats as he spoke, except for Amelia, he had forgotten how quiet and sneaky he could be. It came from his dad he supposed. "Sorry I'm late, I had some trouble convincing my mom not to come with me. She used to hang out here a lot," Marcus seemed to be settling down and Tara just sat there staring at him, it made him slightly uncomfortable but he hoped she was doing it for a good reason.

"Oh, so your mom's an old SHS student?" Marcus asked.

"SHS?" Connor felt like he was out of touch with the teen lingo.

"Sunnydale High School," Marcus almost spelt the initials out but though the better of it.

"Yeah she studied here, then she moved to L.A. and started working for my dad," Connor saddened at the thought of his father, it had been two years since he had died and Connor still hadn't gotten over it. He still expected him to come in the door one night and it would be like he had never left.

Amelia spoke up, "you seem a little down, what is it?"

"My dad died a couple years ago, I'm just starting to get over it." Connor slumped into the seat next to Tara and his smile had completely gone. "He always put others first, my dad," Marcus sighed as if he was already bored, "he kept trying to save the world," Amelia perked up, now this was information that Giles could use, "nobody ever thanked him for it, and even when he did it for a living he hardly ever got paid."

"So was your dad a cop?" Amelia asked, noting it all down in her mental notebook.

"No, he was a private detective," Connor smiled, "Angel Investigations, we help the helpless," the memories of the past came washing over him and he smiled at his dad's victories and laughed at his mistakes, "that was the catchphrase they used, my mom made it up."

"That's really cool," Tara said, shifting a bit to be closer to Connor, "the only job my mom has had since I can remember is lecturer at UC Sunnydale."

"Sometimes it's nice to be normal," added Amelia, who had decided that the only thing that she needed to remember was Connor's father's detective agency name. She could go home and look it up on the net.

"Definitely," Connor agreed. Tara seemed to be getting a bit agitated that she had to share Connor with the others so Marcus offered up a solution.

"Amelia why don't we leave these two to get to know each other and go for that walk Mr. Giles suggested earlier?" he hopes she got his reference to her order to patrol. 

"Yeah, let's go and take that walk," she turned to Connor and Tara, "enjoy yourselves." 

Before Connor could protest Tara replied, "I will, talk to you tomorrow."

"Bye," Marcus waved as they walked out of the sound barrier and into the retro '90s rock music that the club was so fond of. Connor sat next to Tara and Amelia could tell she would have something to talk about tomorrow.


	7. Walking After Midnight

For Disclaimer and previous Reader's notes see chapter's 1, 4, 5, and 6.

Feedback suicidal_snowman@hotmail.com.

****

Chapter 7: Walking After Midnight

After they left the Bronze Marcus and Amelia took a brisk walk to the cemetery. Marcus stopped outside the gates and Amelia wondered what he was doing as he fiddled with the clasp on his bag. He pulled out a ring of garlic, probably stolen from his mother's kitchen, and placed it around his neck.

"Well I don't have super powers so I have to find other ways of protecting myself," he said as if she had complained.

"I wouldn't bother if I were you," she said matter-of-factly, "Because garlic doesn't work," he pulled the foul smelling vegetable from his neck and put it back in his bag.

"Phew, and I thought I was gonna have to learn to breath through my foot," she laughed at his small joke and they started into the cemetery, "so what does work then?" he asked after awhile.

"Stakes, decapitation, holy stuff," she stopped and put her hands behind her neck and took off the cross pendant he had noticed the previous day, "here take this," she put her arms around his neck and fixed the pendant in place. It was a simple silver cross made of two bars of silver, "It was my mom's," she had still not taken her arms from behind his neck and they were very close together, "it's always kept me safe, so why not you?"

They were so close that he could feel her breath on his face and he decided to risk it and move in. They both started moving their faces closer and closer when suddenly the sound of a manhole cover sliding open shook them out of their reverie and they stood apart both embarrassed but neither wanting to say anything. He was about to say something when she broke the silence, however it wasn't what he had been hoping for.

"Vampires," she said, hatred dripping from her words like blood, "they just came out of the manhole over there," she pointed with her stake and began to whisper, "three of them, I have to go and stop them. If you need to use this," she handed him a stake, "aim for the heart and push as hard as you can."

"Ah, but, but, but…" Marcus had no time to complain as she ran off in the direction of the vampires.

She ran in and spin kicked the nearest vamp leaving him in a daze on the floor and kept going, she stepped into the air and jumped onto the second vamp, the stake in her hand found it's target before the vamp even realised she was there. She landed amid a shower of dust and she span to face her third opponent, he'd had time to take up a stance and threw a punch at her, she dodged but was grazed on the shoulder. This put her off balance and gave time for the first vamp to grab her arms and hug her tight to him, she tried to escape but the vamp held on so tight she couldn't breathe.

He saw her flying into action and was amzed at her speed, she could even have been faster than Buffy. Her skill was great and showed her mastery of at least two martial arts, then she was trapped between two aggressors and one took her off balance whilst the other came upon her from behind, he could see her gasping for breath and closed his dark blue eyes. It was sad to see such a good slayer go down, but he would not interfere. He had interfered too many times, the world may be a better place but would the world fall apart if he wasn't there? He had searched many places for the answer in the past year and found nothing, he simply watched and waited. She began to look distressed and he noticed that she was suffocating, he couldn't interfere, but he would not watch the slayer die. Not again. He turned and his long black leather duster splayed out behind him and he dissappeared into the night. Behind him he heard the tell-tale screech of a vampire being dusted, she must be good.

He couldn't hold back any longer and he plucked up all his courage, wich wasn't much, and rushed in screaming a battle cry and he forced the stake he carried into the back of the vampire suffocationg Amelia as hard as he could, he heard a screech and he jumped when it turned to dust before his eyes, then he saw Amelia fall unconscious to the ground and he knelt down by her. He didn't notice the other vampire running for his life toward the nearest manhole. He sat there for a time, cradling Amelia's head in his lap and stroking her hair. He prayed she was still alive and his prayers were answered when she started to blink and drew a deep long breath.

She opened her lips and looked him in the eyes, he felt his heart melt, "Thank you," she rasped through her air-starved mouth, "you saved my life, I don't know what could have happened if you weren't here." She hugged him tightly and she didn't want to let go, but it was getting late and they both had to go home. As they started to walk she began to cheer up and she started to walk with a little spring in her step, she worked her hand into his grip and they walked home hand in hand.


	8. The Scourge of Europe

For Disclaimer and Readers notes see chapter one.

Feedback suicidal_snowman@hotmail.com.

****

Chapter 8: The Scourge of Europe

The girl had killed his two brethren, word had spread through the underworld that she was the slayer. They had only just got rid of the other one fifteen years ago, why did they always have to come to his town. That's four slayers that have come to Sunnydale now, two dead and one very much alive, and very much an annoyance to his kind. As he trudged through the sewers towards his nest he felt the hunger pangs in his stomach, he had been so deep in thought that he had lost his way. But all was not lost as he could sense the prescence of others of his kind, lots of them. As he moved further towards them he could hear rythmic chanting, he wasn't one of those apocalypse cultists but they usually had blood. He turned a corner and his yellow eyes opened wide as he saw a great canyon carved out under the city streets. The huge space was filled with hundreds of vampires in blood red and black robes chanting in their ancient tongue, he saw the flames of torches and hundreds of small flickerng candles. Then he saw her, or at least an image of her. On the wall was a painting as tall as a house, hand painted, and it was the slayer. Not the new one but the blonde one. In the painting she was wearing robes like the vampire acolytes and he began to think this was a slayer worshipping cult. Suddenly a robed and hooded vampire was behind him. He had been found.

"Enter," he said, "all who walk the night are welcome in our holy ground."

The next day at school Tara and Connor arrived together, so did Marcus and Amelia. Both girls nodded to each other, it explained everything that needed to be. Amelia and Marcus walked hand-in hand into the library, and Giles gave her a knowing look.

"How did last night go?" he asked her.

"I got something for you on Connor," Giles perked up and gave her his undivded attention, "and Marcus and I killed two vamps."

"Marcus?" Giles asked surprised.

"Yeah," she put her arms around him, "I killed one, then two ganged up on me and Marcus staked the one who was suffocating me," she gave him a peck on the cheek, "I'd be dead for sure if it wasn't for him," Giles looked up at that and walked over to Marcus, he offered his hand.

"The world," Marcus took his hand and shook it, "and I thank you."

Marcus pulled back after a moment and Giles returned to his normal distracted nature. There was an uncomfortable silence as they thought over what Giles had said.

"Well after that unscheduled interruption," Amelia broke the silence, "Connor, he talks like his dad was a hero, he says he and his mom started a detective agency to help people," she turned to Marcus, "what was he said?"

"Angel Investigations, we help the helpless," he replied in a chipper bimbo receptionist voice. Amelia giggled and Marcus smiled too. She turned back to Giles.

"I was going to look it up on the internet last night but I kinda forgot."

"No matter," he walked over to the librarian's station and ordered it to life, "Station on, search Watcher's council archives for Angel investigations."

The larger screen on the wall flickered to life and an old style web page came up, there was a picture of a tall man with spiked dark hair and underneath that was a label. It read 'Our founder Angel, passed away one year ago next friday. Our dearest condolances to his wife and son.'

"Ah, computer search the archives for information relating to this man, Angel. Cross referance the results with any information on Angelus the scourge of Europe, show all entries from Rupert Giles' diaries that contain either of these names." A large list of entries flashed up on the screen, and Giles opened the first one and began to read.

"We're gonna go to class now," Amelia said after five minutes of silent reading, "we'll come back at lunch to hellp you sort through the files."

Giles was pulled momentarily out of his reverie and he spoke distractedly, "I have more than enough to keep me busy, I look forward to seeing you at lunch. I have some more orders for tonight, but those can wait till we've had a proper look at these."

Marcus and Amelia walked out hand in hand towards home room as the bell went.

The bleached blonde vampire scurried into the mansion under a dark blanket, smoke rising in the morning sun. He threw down the blanket and slammed the door, walking round the corner he tapped the burning flesh on his hands. He jumped out of his skin when he saw the black-eyed man sat in the armchair in the centre of the room. 

"Bloody hell old man do you have to be bloody everywhere?" he asked, the man did not speak, but he slowly closed and opened his eyes revealing his shiny black eyes. 

"You know that they say a man's eyes are the windows into hs soul, if that's true of whatever you are then your soul is as black as they come."

The man turned to him and spoke laboriously slow, "Spike, my soul is the same as yours. My eyes are not windows into my soul, but portals into the future," one moment he was sat down, then the next he was stood leaning on the mantle, "precognition is such a handy talent."

"Yeah well," Spike said and turned to go out of the room and up to his bed, "you precognitate your way back to Hell for all I care you stupid sod," he flopped down on the bed, when he heard a crash coming from downstairs, "oh bloody hell, him and his visions."


End file.
